The state’s Planning Assessment Commission has rejected a proposal to expand the Drayton South coal mine at Denman in the Upper Hunter.
It says Anglo American’s project would pose a threat to the region’s thoroughbred and tourism industries.
The decision goes against the Department of Planning and Environment’s recommendation to approve the expansion, subject to strict conditions.
It’s also the second time the project has been knocked back by the Commission, with an initial bid refused last December.
